Wendy Dagworthy has been described as "the high priestess of British fashion" (The Telegraph). She is one of the founders of London Fashion Week, which
revolutionised the way designers launch their careers in this country.
And she has had a huge influence as the head of fashion – as teacher,
motivator, muse – at Central Saint Martins (1989–98) and the Royal
College of Art (since 1998). "It's like working with a legend," says
one of her students.
Betty Jackson, a former colleague, says she is "inspirational at every level – as a friend, in work, in how she looks".
(Taken from The Telegraph, 22 December 2006, see Telegraph.co.uk for full article.)
Professor Wendy Dagworthy joined the Royal College of Art in 1998
where she became a Professor and Head of Fashion, becoming Head of the
School of Fashion & Textiles in 2000.
She formed her own company in 1972 and two years later joined the
prestigious London Designer Collections, where she subsequently became
Director from 1982–1990. She had huge success during the 1970s and 80s
selling her collections to an international market and exhibited
seasonally at London, Milan, New York and Paris, which confirmed the
importance of her contribution to the international fashion industry.
In 1989 she became Course Director at Central Saint Martins College of
Art and Design.
During the 1990s she became a design consultant to companies such as
Laura Ashley, Liberty and Betty Jackson; a consultancy role which she
still maintains. She has participated in various exhibitions, including
the Cutting Edge exhibition in 1997 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, The London Look 2004, Museum of London, Focus on 4 Designers 2007, Bath Museum of Fashion and Super Contemporary in 2009 at the Design Museum.
Her personal dedication and passion for the fashion industry is
reflected in the overwhelming amount of work she undertakes for all
aspects of the industry. She has been a judge of many art and design
projects, awards and competitions and has given lectures all over the
world. She has been a member of key international and professional
committees and remains an External Examiner for several major European
colleges. Her ongoing commitment and influence continues with her
membership of the British Fashion Council’s management Council – a
position held since 1996.